Stereo Photography - seeing images in real 3D

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8G IF-ED

07/30/2003 04:55:05 PM · #1

It might be interesting to some that you can easily make 'genuine' 3D images using two images taken at slight distances apart. It's nothing new but it's quite fun to do and can be quite useful.

To start off you need two separate photographs. You don't need special equipment you just need to shoot one slightly further apart than the other. The further away the subject is, the further apart you would need to move.

How to do it

To view stereo images (called stereo pairs) you need to look at the left-hand image with your right eye, and at the right-hand image with your left eye (called convergent or cross-eye viewing). That's the science bit, now here's how to develop the skill on-screen.

Method 1
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=31286
Relax and gaze at the stereo pair of my bonsai in the link above, keeping your eyes level (don't tilt your head left or right), and cross your eyes slightly. As you know, crossing your eyes makes you see double, so you will see four images. Try to cross your eyes slowly, so that the two images in the center come together. When they converge or fuse, you will see them as a single 3D image. The fused image will appear to lie between two flat images, which you should ignore.

When you are viewing correctly, you see three images instead of four. The center image is three-dimensional. At first, the 3D image may be blurred. Keep trying to hold the stereo pair together while you focus. The longer you can hold it, the more time your eyes have to adjust their focus. Usually, even before you begin to get the hang of focusing, the two central images lock together, because your mind begins to interpret them as a single 3D object.

Method 2
If you're having trouble, here's another approach. With your head level and about 2.5 feet from the screen, hold up a finger, with its tip about 6 inches in front of your face, and centered between the stereo pair on the screen. Focus on your finger tip. Without focusing on the screen, notice how many images you see there (they will be blurred). If you see four images, move your finger slowly toward or away from you eyes, keeping focused on your finger tip, until the middle pair of images converge. With your finger still in place, partly covering the converged pair, change your focus to the screen. The image partly hidden by your finger should appear three-dimensional. Your finger should still appear single, but blurred. With some practice, you can remove your finger and still keep the screen images converged into a stereo image.

Examples
Stereo viewing was useful to confirm that these two amazing shots (one from DPC and one from another site) were actually different photographs. The photographers were 15ft or more apart. These images were discussed in an earlier forum:
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=31289
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=31285

Hope it works for you!

Kali

Nikon D7100

07/30/2003 05:32:02 PM · #2

I've never had any luck successfully viewing stereoscopic images on a monitor and only rarely with prints. In spite of this, hypnosis is quite easy for me... weird.
Aloha

tomlewis1980

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

07/30/2003 06:08:41 PM · #3

I have tried a couple of these myself, its great fun :)
I find these ones quite easy to view, I hope they work for everybody else...
//www.pbase.com/tomlewis1980/3d

pinback

07/30/2003 06:17:50 PM · #4

Originally posted by tomlewis1980:

I have tried a couple of these myself, its great fun :)
I find these ones quite easy to view, I hope they work for everybody else...
//www.pbase.com/tomlewis1980/3d

Yep - they work for me. Any reason why they're so small?

pinback

07/30/2003 06:20:49 PM · #5

Originally posted by Jon Lucas:

Hope it works for you!

Yep. Except that trying to view the planes my eyes stuck and now I can't uncross them! How do you expect me to take pictures like this? Help!

tomlewis1980

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro Super II for Canon

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

07/30/2003 06:20:51 PM · #6

Originally posted by pinback:

Originally posted by tomlewis1980:
I have tried a couple of these myself, its great fun :)
I find these ones quite easy to view, I hope they work for everybody else...
//www.pbase.com/tomlewis1980/3d

Yep - they work for me. Any reason why they're so small?

I just found that the bigger the images were the harder it was see the 3d view. Thats all.

macox

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

07/30/2003 06:32:13 PM · #7

tomlewis 1980 you don't happen to play the warhammer tabletop games do you? I recognize that orc

tomlewis1980

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

07/30/2003 06:45:10 PM · #8

Originally posted by macox:

tomlewis 1980 you don't happen to play the warhammer tabletop games do you? I recognize that orc

I did, havent played in about 7 years though :)

Jaxson

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro Super II for Canon

07/30/2003 07:15:33 PM · #9

Originally posted by Jon Lucas:

To start off you need two separate photographs. You don't need special equipment you just need to shoot one slightly further apart than the other. The further away the subject is, the further apart you would need to move.

Very cool!! Would you mind explaining a little more on what you mean by further apart? Do you mean moving your camera horizontily left or right or swivelling your camera.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

07/30/2003 10:24:08 PM · #10

Here's a nice stereo photo... you should be able to guess how I achieved the different angles...

macox

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

07/30/2003 10:35:04 PM · #11

OUCH I can usually see these things easily but this one is a bit large and there's no real high contrast area to focus on so it comes in and out of focus

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS

07/30/2003 10:46:29 PM · #12

Originally posted by macox:

OUCH I can usually see these things easily but this one is a bit large and there's no real high contrast area to focus on so it comes in and out of focus

Once you get it in focus, take one hand from each side and block out the "side" images, it really helps!

Jaxson

07/30/2003 11:20:36 PM · #13

WOW. That is awesome

07/31/2003 03:37:34 AM · #14

Originally posted by kirbic:

Here's a nice stereo photo... you should be able to guess how I achieved the different angles...

If anyone found this more difficult than usual it's because these images are accidentally transposed so that the things close to the camera seem far away! Here's the corrected image:
//www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=31350

Nice shot Kirbic - once you lock in it's very deep and you can 'look' into the distance as you really would.

To take stereo pics try shooting an object with clear, defined form like a cube - preferably with a tripod. Shoot the first shot then move the camera only about a few inches (the distance between your eyes) to the left or right -but not closer or further from the object- and shoot the next. Widening the distance will have the effect of artificially 'deepening' the shot, but it can be a an interesting technique to get dramatic 3D.

Message edited by author 2003-07-31 03:44:24.

ClubJuggle

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/31/2003 04:15:07 AM · #15

Neat stuff but I always feel like I must look like this

after viewing one of these.

A lot of fun though, thanks for sharing!

-Terry

macox

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 APO Macro Super II for Canon

07/31/2003 04:21:01 AM · #16

ahhh much better I wondered why I was having a tough time I can usually see these things in under a second

Damitriel

Sony DSC-F717

07/31/2003 12:57:33 PM · #17

Here is one of mine (I think it's easy to see, just stare till you see 3 photo's and the concentrate on the one in the middle):

See more //www2.pbase.com/damitriel/3d_stereographs

Here are some other nice examples both cross-eyed and wall-eyed versions. (not mine)
//www.stereoscopy.com/gallery/index.html (warning: linked page contains nudity)

Message edited by ClubJuggle - Nudity warning added.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

07/31/2003 02:25:50 PM · #18

I think the Pentax Optio S has a mode just to create these ?

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

07/31/2003 08:23:47 PM · #19

Originally posted by Damitriel:

Here are some other nice examples both cross-eyed and wall-eyed versions. (not mine)
//www.stereoscopy.com/gallery/index.html (warning: linked page contains nudity)

Stunning pix Damitriel, nice link. Makes me want to shoot some more stereo stuff now (and mess around with Lightwave 7). ;)

Alpine99

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

07/31/2003 08:35:40 PM · #20

I think this is an elaborate hoax.. I've never seen one! I just go google eyed..

Konador

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

07/31/2003 08:37:44 PM · #21

I was like that at forst alpine, but then suddenly it just snaps, and you wonder why you couldnt see it before!

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

07/31/2003 09:01:29 PM · #22

Originally posted by Alpine99:

I think this is an elaborate hoax.. I've never seen one! I just go google eyed..

If you have any eye defects like stigmatism you might not be able to view them. If you're fine then try relaxing and gazing 'past the screen' a few feet, or try to focus on where your reflection would be in the monitor. That sometimes helps.

Alpine99

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

08/01/2003 04:22:58 AM · #23

Thanks guys.. the wind changed and now I'm going to look like this permanently! Still didn't manage to see it...

Sonifo